Annual Crop report shows healthy growth The bell isn
’t tolling for South Valley farmers just yet. Total agriculture
revenue in Santa Clara County grew by a healthy 7 percent in 2004
to $258,359,850, up from $241,113,8490 in 2003, according to the
annual crop report released this week.
The bell isn’t tolling for South Valley farmers just yet.
Total agriculture revenue in Santa Clara County grew by a healthy 7 percent in 2004 to $258,359,850, up from $241,113,8490 in 2003, according to the annual crop report released this week.
“Agriculture continues to be economically viable in Santa Clara County,” Agriculture Commissioner Greg Van Wassenhove said. “There is an increase in production that demonstrates that growers are the greatest stewards of the soil.”
The revenue growth was led by a surge in production of chili and bell peppers. Bell pepper revenue grew 20 percent to $12.4 million. Chili pepper revenue more than doubled to $11.6 million.
“I would attribute that to an increase in volume,” said Peter Aiello, co-owner of Uesugi Farms, which does about 90 percent of its business in peppers. “We’re growing our business 8 to 10 percent a year and to do that we need to plant more bell peppers. I would assume we were a major contributor to that growth.”
Aside from the chilis, which jumped three spots to number four, the top 10 crops in 2004 were virtually unchanged. The top five were nursery stock, which includes bedding plants, Christmas trees and perennials, maintained its traditional spot atop the list, followed by mushrooms, bell peppers, chili peppers and cut flowers. Steers and heifers, wine grapes, cherries, leaf lettuce and Chinese vegetables rounded out the top 10.
Van Wassenhove said the growth was remarkable considering the myriad challenges facing farmers such as foreign competition, rising fuel prices and stricter regulations.
“There are tremendous pressures on farmers and ranchers today,” Van Wassenhove said, “but they continue to demonstrate their ability to work with these circumstances and produce a healthy agricultural crop.”
Many crops enjoyed strong years in 2004, but nursery stocks slipped about 9 percent, a drop Van Wassenhove attributed to a loss of acreage and a shipping quarantine to protect against the spread of Sudden Oak Death.
Dave Vincent, who owns Cal Color Growers in Morgan Hill with his wife, Michele, said business has been flat in recent years because his best sources of business are big box stores that can demand lower prices.
“The market has kind of shifted for our type of nursery into the mass market type of stores like Wal-Mart and Lowe’s,” Vincent said. “We haven’t seen the decrease, but it depends on who you are and where you are in the evolution of your company as to how you fit into the big picture.”
And, Vincent said, the first six months of 2005 have been difficult. The company lost one of its biggest accounts, Orchard Supply Hardware, in the middle of the busy season, and the wet spring hurt the bottom line as well. Vincent was able to snag a new account with Raley’s, to stock about 70 of their stores in northern California.
“That was a godsend for us,” Vincent said. “The weather created an inconsistent flow in the market place. We usually have about 13 good weekends a year and this year we had three. But some years are good, some years are bad. The weather’s the weather and this is agriculture. You just get used to it.”
The wet spring has helped some farmers, especially ranchers who had an easier time fattening their cattle, but the rain also damaged a lot of crops up and down the state. Looking ahead to next year’s report, Van Wassenhove predicted that this year’s weather will make it tough to match last year’s successes.
“I think the concern we’ll have will be the rain delays and the damages,” he said. “I think you’re going to see an impact to commodities, but again, the adaptiveness of the farmers and the ranchers will determine the final economic outcome for the year. Time will tell.”
Matt King covers Santa Clara County for The Times. He can be reached at 847-7240 or mk***@gi************.com.
